I would not wish death on

anyone. The comments made by some about President Trump are something I find deeply disturbing even though I am equally disturbed by the idea that he may once again be President of the United States of America. 

It would not concern me in the least if he was found ineligible to be President again but I cannot wish death on him any more than I can wish death on other people I regard as dangerous or incompetent - or both.

I said that this morning to the dog walker who often comments on such things. He is of the view that "someone should shoot the b.....". I cannot agree. He is also of the view that the current President, "should go with a bit of dignity..."  Yes, perhaps he should...and he possibly will.

I thought of these things as our morning conversation moved to another topic, "What about this mum with the disabled kid - the one who needs somewhere to live? Wouldn't it be better to just euthanise the child because he's just going to be a burden isn't he?"

I suppose I should have known this would be Mr Dog Walker's attitude. He is one of the many who think that way and one of the few who will actually say it outright. His own children are just fine thank you very much.

And I went back to thinking of "The Empty Hours", the book written by my late friend Maureen Oswin. I remembered the day I first met her. She came to talk to us about her work uncovering the horrors in the old style institutions for children with disabilities. More than fifty years ago there were still too many of those.

"These children are loved," she told us but we found that hard to believe as she went on to describe what she had seen and written about.  It left us in shocked silence.

I went on to work in the same research unit as this remarkable woman. We became friends as she struggled to write what she wanted so desperately to say. Sometimes she would wander in to my little corner and ask what I thought of something she had just written. In all of it I saw those first words, "These children are loved." 

I think of that when I look at the so-called leaders who become dictators and despots, who do more harm than good. They were once children who were loved by someone and some have children who love them. It matters.